Every year, the University of Ottawa’s Professional Training Service (PTS) attracts over 4,000 adult students from the federal public service, national associations, private enterprise and, of course, the University of Ottawa.
This is a clientele that has a range of expectations and skills. According to PTS Director Sylvain Leduc, “You have to incorporate into your teaching the different challenges and issues that students bring to the classroom and help everyone advance at the same time.”
The Service’s trainers are therefore chosen based on three criteria: their expertise, their knowledge of the workplace and a clear talent for teaching adults. Above all, they know how to mesh their knowledge with the concerns of the employer and employees.
In 2000 the University of Ottawa made the PTS a cost-recovery service, giving it a clear mandate: delivering non-credit “just in time” training in English and French and managing certain special programs at the University such as the Enrichment Mini-Courses Program.
In order to develop useful strategies and programs, the Service established an advisory committee with representatives from the public and private sectors. “Since then, the PTS has carved out an enviable place as a provider of continuing education, specifically targeting middle managers and administrative personnel,” says Leduc.
Today, the Service annually gives hundreds of training sessions grouped into three programs: writing, management and communication. The sessions are held on campus or at a location chosen by the employer, anywhere in Canada. Upon request, the Service can also modify content to better meet the customers’ needs.
One of the first units to use e-commerce, the PTS receives over 80 per cent of its registrations via the Web. This year, it has introduced interactive placement tests on its site to help students better choose the writing workshop that is right for them. “Since the tests were introduced in October, almost 300 visitors per month have used them.”
Leduc also attributes the success of the PTS to the remarkable work of its support staff. “These are people who are driven by a culture of excellence and for whom added value is a reflex,” says Leduc. “Whether providing information, coordinating training or putting together a publication, they always try to exceed expectations.”
By focusing on the quality of its training and customer service, the PTS has put a spotlight on the University’s reputation with a whole new public, for whom professional development is essential.
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